Peanut Butter and Honey

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     I think I am definitely on the downhill side of this whole morning sickness thing.  I still feel gross most of the day but it's a less severe kind of gross.  My biggest problem is that I feel like I have a ping pong ball stuck in my esophagus somewhere above my stomach.  I don't know what it means or what it is but it's driving me crazy!  I would feel much less nauseous if it weren't there.  Maybe I have some sort of weird acid reflex or something, I don't know.  I just wish it would go away.

     Anyway, I have been noticing that I can eat more of the foods that I couldn't tolerate a few weeks ago.  It's weird because last time I was pregnant, it took a good 4 or 5 months to get there and I am only 13 weeks now.  So one of the things I couldn't stand when I was pregnant with Adam was peanut butter.  Which is sad because my favorite sandwich is PB&J.  Also, my favorite chocolate candy is Reese's Peanut Butter cups (I couldn't eat chocolate with Adam either, so that was sad too).  But I have found that I can eat peanut butter now (if it's not in large quantities) but for some reason, I don't have the appetite for PB&J.  However, the other day I started craving peanut butter and honey sandwiches.  Maybe it's the sugar in the honey that I crave, but I eat at least two of them at lunch (I am eating one right now).  And I just love my little Fuzzy Wuzzy honey container.   You know, the ones shaped like a bear.  We called it Fuzzy Wuzzy when we were little.  I always say the poem to Adam when I make my sandwich...

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a Bear.

Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.

Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he? 

AND I craved some M&M's the other day, and today I ate a Reese's Peanut Butter cup!  The only thing that still grosses me out to even think about is chicken enchiladas, which was the first thing I couldn't eat with this pregnancy.  I want to puke just thinking about it so I will eat another bite of my PB&H sandwich.

I really don't have much energy these days.  I am SO exhausted at the end of the day and I hardly do anything.  But I think today I will attempt to go to the Scout store and Costco.  After I eat lunch of course.  We will see how it goes.  I hope it's not too much for my little pregnant body to handle.  I know, I'm being a big baby.  But I have noticed a connection between how I feel and how much I do during the day.  I feel better when I'm lazy.  But I don't like being lazy.

I think I need another sandwich.

Adam's Words

I'm still pretty sick, however I think the worst of it is over (I hope).  But I just wanted to share some highlights from this week that cheered me up a little.  Most of my time is passed laying on the couch watching Adam play and use his imagination.  He has quite an imagination.  He loves to talk on the phone (or more accurately, he loves to push the buttons).  But he pretends to talk on the phone.  He says, "hi" and "hello" or at least I think that's what he's saying.  But when he doesn't have a phone to play with, he is pretty inventive.  He's used several things in place of a phone, such as: a hot wheels car, a phone charger, a mega block, a block of wood, a puzzle piece and basically anything that fits in his hand and is rectangle-ish in shape.

He has some other words that he says, though most of the time he says them when he wants to, which is not very often.  But the other day, he actually used his words to communicate.  One of his words is "bissy" (fishy).  We were eating lunch and he pointed to the goldfish crackers and said "bissy!"  I thought it was a one time thing, but he did it again!  And again!  I was so proud of him.  He ate lots of goldfish that day.

Another word he says is "buh" (bird).  Today he spent a good 10 or 15 minutes looking out the window at the birds and saying. "Buh!  Buh!"  It was cute.  He can also say "bear" and "ball" but they sound so close to "bird" that I have to pay attention to what he's doing in order to know which one he is saying.  The other word he is really good at saying is "uh oh."  Though he says it more like, "ee ooh." He recognizes many other words and sentences but just hasn't figured out how to say them yet.  He finds other ways to communicate though.  It just makes me so happy to watch him learn and figure things out.  He's a little smarty pants.  He's learning how to color too.  Unfortunately we only have pens and markers so we don't color as often as I would like, but when I get feeling better, I want to get him a pack of jumbo crayons, a coloring book and some play-doh.  I'm sure he'll try to eat them but who hasn't eaten play-doh before?  I think it's required to be a kid.  That and glue, which I'm sure he will also try eventually.  He's quite the explorer.  But until then, I guess blocks, cars and books will have to do, which he loves anyway.  He doesn't know what he's missing but he's such a good little boy.  I just love him to pieces.

Westwood Baby # 2

We got our first sonogram today.

There's the little baby.  They said I was 11 weeks and 1 day, so my due date, according to all the measurements and stuff was September 2.  Happy Birthday Tina!  You just might get a little niece or nephew for your birthday. The Dr.'s due date was September 6, so we will see if it is changed or not.  The same thing happened with Adam but we just kept the Dr.'s date.  Turned out that the sonogram date was more accurate because he was born 1 day early according to that, and 3 days early according to the Dr.'s date.

It looks like the baby has no legs but they are just tucked up under.  Anyway, I'm hoping to get feeling better soon, seeing as how the first trimester is almost over.

We took Adam with us so that he could see the baby.  He has no clue what's going on.  I'm sure that will change when the baby comes.

Update:  I went to the doctor a few days later and she said the "official" due date is September 4.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

I am writing this post because I have mixed emotions right now.  Plus, It's been a month since my last post.  It's not like nothing has happened in my life, in fact, much has happened in the last month.  It's just I've been too sick to do anything the past few weeks so I haven't written anything.  But enough is enough.  I need to make an entry, sick or not sick (actually it would be sick, because I feel pretty yucky right now).  So I've been sick for about a month now.  I don't have a cold, or the flu, however that's how it started out.  What I have is a lot more "serious" than that.  A month ago, I began to suspect something was up.  I went to the doctor (I almost had to crawl in there because I felt so bad) but it was confirmed what I have.  There is no treatment for it.  I just have to suffer for the next few months and hope things get better.  Actually, the doctor told me that I can expect to be all better sometime around September 6.  If you haven't guessed by now, the good news is that I'm expecting!  YAY!  We are hoping to welcome another child into our family around the beginning of September.  We are way excited.  That being said, part of me is way NOT excited to go through all the "morning sickness."  Which is why I feel so yucky.  With Adam, it was pretty bad.  I also had to work, which made it worse.  With this one, luckily I don't have to work but MAN!  It's literally taking everything out of me.  At the end of January, things were so bad I literally couldn't get off the couch.  It got so bad that I needed medication to help with the nausea.  It doesn't take it away, but I think it helps a little.  The only thing that makes it go away is sleeping, which is hard to do because for some reason, I just can't sleep no matter how tired I am.  They say that every pregnancy is different.  I would say that's accurate.  I thought I knew what to expect, seeing as how I've gone through it before, but I didn't quite expect this.  Before, I could sleep anywhere, anytime.  I could eat something and I would fell better for a little while.  This time, I can't sleep, and when I eat it just takes away the hunger, not the nausea.  It is a constant battle to just get through the day.  I am physically and emotionally drained.  I am sick of being sick!
Ok, enough of the "woe is me."  There are some things I do to try to keep a good perspective, which is really hard, but what else can I do?  So I try to think of the future, and the good that will come from all this suffering.  I am creating a life!  What a miracle!  To think about the super fast rate of development that is happening with our child...no wonder I fell so sick!  It's not anything simple.  But it will be totally worth it.
At least I don't have to work!  That is a HUGE blessing right there.  I would probably die if I had to work.  I am so grateful to my wonderful husband for his willingness to work to support our family, and I am grateful for his job that provides us with the things we need.
Another thing that makes it easier is my little Adam.  Oh how I miss playing with him and taking him outside.  But I am blessed that he is for the most part, independent enough that I don't have to entertain him much.  I can just lie on the couch and watch him play and use his imagination.  It's very cute and makes me happy.  I love him so much.
Brent is doing a very good job too.  I count the hours until he comes home every day.  His willingness to help me out is very much appreciated.  I know it's hard for him to work so hard every day and then have to come home and help out here, but it means so much to me.  He is such a sweetheart and a good daddy.  I love him very, very much.
I have family that helps out too.  I don't know what I'd do without them.  The other day my dad came over to play with Adam.  He was so happy to have his grandpa there!  It meant a lot to me that Adam had someone he could play with.  He loves his grandpa!  My mom came to help too.  It was such a relief to have her here, and I didn't have to worry about Adam.  I could just rest and not think about it.  My sisters come and clean, and my brother came and spent some quality time with Adam too, which was very nice.  I know Adam enjoyed playing with his uncle.
A few weeks ago, Brent's mom and her husband Mark came for a visit from Idaho.  Adam loves his grandma and grandpa Waldram.  They were so sweet and kind and I felt bad that I was so sick and no fun, but it meant a lot that they were there.  I know they made sacrifices to come and I really appreciated it.
When I feel really bad, I just think to myself, "at least I don't have to cross the plains in a handcart."  The pioneers had it tough.  I don't know if I would have been strong enough to do it.  I am grateful for their sacrifices which directly influenced my life, because many of my ancestors (and Brent's) were pioneers and had to cross the plains.  I just cringe when I think about all those poor ladies who were pregnant and still crossed the plains.  Some of them losing children and husbands on the way.  They did it because they saw the bigger picture and they knew it would be worth it in the end.  I often think of the hymn, "Come, Come Ye Saints."  It's a pioneer hymn which was written to give encouragement to those crossing the plains.  One verse goes like this:

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
if we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell-
All is well!  All is well!

 This verse keeps running through my head.  Especially the part that says, "Why should we think to earn a great reward  if we now shun the fight?"  We can't expect God to bless us if we do nothing and give up and run away from our problems.  God is willing to bless us but we must do all we can do and He will do the rest.  You see this many times in stories from the pioneers.  There were many miracles that happened along the way.  And if we can prove that we are faithful, all will be well in the end.

I want to share and experience that strengthened my testimony that Heavenly Father will bless us when we put forth our own effort to do all we can.

A few days ago, before bed, I was feeling very,very sick.  All I wanted was to go to bed and sleep.  But I felt horrible.  I ate something hoping to feel better, but it didn't help.  I took some medicine, but still felt horrible.  I even read my scriptures but I still felt sick.  So I said a prayer.  I told Heavenly Father that I had done all I could do and asked if He could do the rest.  I just wanted to sleep!  Immediately after I closed my prayer I had to throw up.  I ran to the bathroom, tossed my cookies, and felt much better.  After I brushed my teeth (again), I got into bed and fell asleep right away.  I felt much better the next day and I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who cares about me and answers my prayers.  I am still sick, but I know all will be well if I don't give up and if I do all I can do and stay close to my Heavenly Father.  I know it will be worth it in the end.

Resolution Time

I really shouldn't wait until the new year to make resolutions.  There's nothing different about the new year than any other time, except I have to try and remember "12" now instead of "11."  But this new year is significant because since my birthday is so close to the new year, that basically means that I have one more year until I turn 30.  So this year is the year to do everything I wanted to do before I turn 30.  I never thought that day would be so close.
I remember when I was 20, I thought I would be done with school and have 5 or 6 kids by the time I was 30.  Obviously that didn't happen, seeing as how I didn't get married until I was 25, still haven't finished school, and I just barely had my first kid a year ago.  However, I couldn't be happier with the timing of it all.  Now that I am so close to 30, my goals and ideas have changed somewhat.  Though I still want to finish school, that one may have to wait a little while.  I can always keep learning new things in the meantime though.  But here are my goals for this year:

• Clean our back room.  It has been a mess ever since we moved in.  It's our "junk" room.  I want to get it organized.  Every now and then we watch a show on Netflix called Hoarding: Buried Alive.  It's a documentary type thing about people who hoard so much junk that they can barely move around in their house.  It's usually due to a mental issue, but many times it begins with just one room.  

This is our back room.  I can barely go inside and it looks alarmingly similar to many of the houses in the show.   I want to clean it up! No more excuses! I'm not going to let this mess grow bigger and bigger. Plus, I would like to use it as a craft room/guest room. Right now there's nowhere for a guest to even put a duffel bag.

• Hang up pictures.  This kind of goes with the first one because the pictures are in the mess somewhere.  But its been almost 3 years and I still haven't hung them up.  I think I'm afraid to because I know as soon as they are hung up we will have to move, or something like that.

• Open an Etsy shop.  Ever since grade school, I have loved to make beaded jewelry.  It's a passion of mine.  I am addicted to beads.  I love making jewelry but I hardly wear any of it.  I would love to have an Etsy shop where I can sell my creations.  I would also like to have other handmade crafts available for people to buy and enjoy too.  Crafting is my favorite hobby.  But I need a craft room first so I guess I better get cleaning.

• Have another kid.  I know.  That's a big one.  And honestly, if this one happens, I can see all my other "Before 30" goals flying out the window.  I figure if I can't have 5 or 6 kids by 30, I can at least try and have 2.  However, there's only so much I can do for this one.  But it's the one I want to happen the most.  I am hoping that my timing coincides with the Lord's timing as well, but we will see what happens.  He knows best.

And there you have it.  They are some pretty hefty goals but it seems like I should at least get one or two of them done.  And if they don't all get done, I always have until I'm 40, right?  Hooray for resolutions!

Dusting

I did some dusting today.  I let Adam be in charge of the paper towels...

He's such a good helper!

The Holidays are Gone :(

Thanksgiving

We had a very nice holiday season, beginning with Thanksgiving, of course.  We had Thanksgiving at my aunt's house and it was fun to be able to see all my cousins and their growing families.  My oldest cousin is pretty good at photography so while she was taking some pictures of her siblings and their families, I asked if we could squeeze in too.  We got some pretty good ones!

My favorite are some that she took of Adam.

I just love how cute he looks in his little plaid shirt and blue jeans.  He actually had a milestone that day too.  They have a big back yard and since it's Arizona, we could all eat outside and enjoy the nice weather.  Because it was so open, Adam could run around all he wanted.  He got so much better at walking that day!  He just loved being able to roam free.

Christmas

As soon as Thanksgiving is over (or before) I kick into Christmas mode.  I really had an enjoyable Christmas.  Last year was nice too, but I was still recovering from pregnancy and stuff (it took a lot longer than I expected) so I was really stressed at times and found it hard to focus on what Christmas is about.  This year I wasn't crunched for time or trying to figure out how to be a mommy.  I was able to spend more time thinking about the whys of Christmas and really enjoy the season.  I did a post every day about a Christmas tradition and how it reminded me of Christ.  I learned a lot and it was very interesting.  It made me look at everything a little more differently.  If you missed it, you can read about it here, or just go back in the archives.  The one thing I didn't enjoy so much about it was writing something every day.  I'm not much of a writer.  But now I won't have to do it again because the great thing about journals is that you can always go back and read what you wrote.  Which is what I will be doing next year.  

Anyway, it was nice not to have the stress.  Thinking back on it, I only had about one day of "stress."  I was torn weather or not to bake cookies, or make stockings for our family.  I didn't have time for both, but thanks to personal revelation, I was prompted to make cookies with the intent to give some to friends in our ward (of course keeping some for us as well) and I could always make the stockings next year, seeing as how Adam doesn't get the concept of stockings yet.  I decided to use some giant red mugs (we got them for our wedding but never have used them) for "stockings" instead.  Everything worked out perfect.  I made little name tags for the mugs (which I got from my sister-in-law's blog) and tied them onto the handle.  The mugs were big enough that I could fit all the stocking stuffers plus some nuts and candy.  I was very proud of my resourcefulness.  Plus, the cookies were AWESOME!!  And then, to top it off, my husband, being the sweetheart that he is, didn't know I had plans to make stockings, so he went and bought one for me and Adam and stuffed them with stuff as well!  His brownie points soared that day.  Or should I say, "cookie points."

I even got all my Christmas cards mailed with time to spare.  I was able to get them printed, addressed, stamped and mailed all in one day.  Unlike last year, which, for some reason was a really, really big headache.  Literally.  But that's another story for another time.  Like a time when I decide to catch up on the stuff I missed writing about from last year (and the 5+ years before that).

On the 22nd we celebrated with my parents and sisters at our house since we would be out of town for Christmas.  It was fun to watch Adam, who still hadn't gotten the hang of opening presents.  I figured since he just had his birthday, he would have gotten the hang of it.  Oh well, at least I didn't have to worry about keeping the presents out of his reach, which was nice.

(There's supposed to be a video here but for some reason Blogger can't upload it.  I will try again later I guess.)

I think his favorite gift were the cars that Auntie Breanna gave him.  He loves Lightning McQueen and the Doc Hudson cars.

We celebrated Christmas together as a family on the 23rd because we would be going to Brent's dad's house in California the next day and we didn't want to haul all our stuff up there.  We saved a few things for Adam to open there, but the rest we did at our house.  I got the best gift ever!!!!  I have been wanting a Silhouette CAMEO for a long time now.  I hinted very strongly that I wanted it for Christmas/my birthday.  Brent was very sneaky about it but when he came home from work that day, he had a big, wrapped present in his arms.  It was the Silhouette!  YAY!  All my crafting dreams will come true now.  If you don't know what a Silhouette is, basically it is a vinyl/paper cutter, similar to the Cricut but better, in my opinion.  I was just bummed that I couldn't use it right away because we still had to pack and stuff.  Oh well, now that the holidays are over, I can cut vinyl all I want.  But first I need to get some.  Brent got a new tool box and a ton of storage/organization stuff for the shed.  And a coupon to pick out a new fish.  When we got back from California, he spent the rest of his time off building shelves for the shed and getting it all organized out there.  Now he has a Man Cave.  

Christmas in California was a lot of fun, especially because we were there with the whole family.  Brian and Janny were able to come too.  There was so much anticipation on Christmas morning.

Santa ate most of his cookies the boys left for him. 

One of the best parts was when we were trying to decide who would open up presents first.  Should we go youngest to oldest?  Smallest to biggest?  Then someone suggested we go by whoever was the goodest that year.  Poor JR.  He got really sad and said, "That's not fair!  That means I have to go last!"  We decided to let him go first because he was being so honest.  We had fun spending time together and opening up our gifts.

That night we had a Christmas feast!

Yum!

Another fun thing we did while we were there was visit the Reagan Museum.  Adam loved the Air Force One hanger.  It was so open and it had cars and airplanes in it.

It was pretty crowded but Adam was happy once we got in the hanger area and he had space to move around.

There was a small replica of the Berlin Wall.  Adam fit perfectly in the tunnel.  Too bad the picture is kind of blurry.  We weren't supposed to use flash photography.

We also tried to get a good family picture.  It was really hard with the babies.  They had had enough.  We took a few and I'm going to try and edit the good parts of all of them together.  We will see how it goes.

All in all, it was a pretty fun trip, though poor Adam got sick on the way home.  But that meant he slept most of the way.  

We had a few days to recuperate before Brent had to go back to work.  It was nice to spend some time together.  Now I am in the process of putting all the Christmas stuff away.  It's almost done.  I have all the tree stuff put away, except for the tree, and a few other odds and ends.  Now it's time for a new year and some resolutions.  

But not today. 

:)